Tokyo Hands: “What Have I Done”.

12 Apr 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

The young folks of the Philadelphia based electronic producer Tokyo Hands recently finished their EP No Nights, and this slightly darker club shot below is amongst my favourites from its 20 minute spin. Order the tape via Locus Recordings. Tokyo Hands - What Have I Done (feat voyeurs) Read more → The young folks of the Philadelphia based electronic producer Tokyo Hands recently finished their EP No Nights, and this slightly darker club shot below is amongst my favourites from its 20 minute spin. Order the tape via Locus Recordings. Tokyo Hands - What Have I Done (feat voyeurs)

Stream: Greenpot Bluepot - Ascend at the Dead End.

11 Apr 2012 — Jesse Thompson

NYC artist Natalie LeBrecht has a new album release under the Greenpot Bluepot moniker titled Ascend at the Dead End. Co-mixed and produced with Dave Portner (aka Avey Tare of Animal Collective), the album does a wonderful job of combining melodic sensibilities that are common in more popular forms of contemporary music with experimental harmonic and monophonic textures. On the whole, LeBrecht's dynamic vocals range from tonguey shrills like Kate Bush at her most eccentric, something like "Wuthering Heights" perhaps, to a mystical, chant-like tone similar to Nico. Combine all this with constantly shifting rhythmic structures that span everything from celebratory tribal ritual to opium den trance, and you have an album that's as vicerally enjoyable as it is cerebrally captivating. LeBrecht has worked extensively with minimalist composer and artist La Monte Young, most notably on his acclaimed Dream House sound and light installation, and the avant-garde musician's influence is apparent, particularly in the album's more drone-y moments like "Sarangi" where sustained notes and chords intertwine to form a sonic core that boasts raga-styled vocal drifts like enchanting solar flares. Stream Ascend at the Dead End below, and watch the album's first video, "Melting Sword", directed by Brett Milspaw. Read more → NYC artist Natalie LeBrecht has a new album release under the Greenpot Bluepot moniker titled Ascend at the Dead End. Co-mixed and produced with Dave Portner (aka Avey Tare of Animal Collective), the album does a wonderful job of combining melodic sensibilities that are common in more popular forms of contemporary music with experimental harmonic and monophonic textures. On the whole, LeBrecht's dynamic vocals range from tonguey shrills like Kate Bush at her most eccentric, something like "Wuthering Heights" perhaps, to a mystical, chant-like tone similar to Nico. Combine all this with constantly shifting rhythmic structures that span everything from celebratory tribal ritual to opium den trance, and you have an album that's as vicerally enjoyable as it is cerebrally captivating. LeBrecht has worked extensively with minimalist composer and artist La Monte Young, most notably on his acclaimed Dream House sound and light installation, and the avant-garde musician's influence is apparent, particularly in the album's more drone-y moments like "Sarangi" where sustained notes and chords intertwine to form a sonic core that boasts raga-styled vocal drifts like enchanting solar flares. Stream Ascend at the Dead End below, and watch the album's first video, "Melting Sword", directed by Brett Milspaw.

Video: White Poppy - “I Had a Dream”.

11 Apr 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Watch the colorful and aptly VHS-inspired video for White Poppy's "I Had a Dream", the title track of a tape that has just been released by our favorite LA psych imprint NNF. White Poppy, the solo project of Vancouver's Crystal Dorval, delivers a blissful exercise in looped guitars and clouded, glimmering outré pop. The whole piece is hauntingly beautiful and highly recommended. I Had a Dream is now out on cassette via Not Not Fun. If in Europe, get it here. Read more → Watch the colorful and aptly VHS-inspired video for White Poppy's "I Had a Dream", the title track of a tape that has just been released by our favorite LA psych imprint NNF. White Poppy, the solo project of Vancouver's Crystal Dorval, delivers a blissful exercise in looped guitars and clouded, glimmering outré pop. The whole piece is hauntingly beautiful and highly recommended. I Had a Dream is now out on cassette via Not Not Fun. If in Europe, get it here.

Video: Brainshadows - “Ripe”.

10 Apr 2012 — Henning Lahmann

Last September, we premiered "Wild Cherry", the first-ever song by Portland, Maine's Brainshadows, the rural psych project of Herbcraft mastermind Matthew Lajoie and Dawn Aquarius aka Oracle Offering. In fact, it of course wasn't the first collaboration of the two, but rather a reunion of the former members of the excellent Cursillistas, the project that was forced to disintegrate when Dawn left Maine (read about the recent release of the "last", synoptic Cursillistas LP Observe Ember Weeks over here). Below, watch the brand new video for the slowly meandering, restrained and intriguingly calm and muffled "Ripe", the b-side of said "Wild Cherry" single. It was shot by Jamie Rinaldi and Nicholas Barker on a gray, windy day at the beach in Maine on super-8 film, featuring the two musicians wandering around in the slowly fading lights of another New England fall. The Wild Cherry b/w Ripe 7 inch is out on L'Animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings. Order it over here. Read more → Last September, we premiered "Wild Cherry", the first-ever song by Portland, Maine's Brainshadows, the rural psych project of Herbcraft mastermind Matthew Lajoie and Dawn Aquarius aka Oracle Offering. In fact, it of course wasn't the first collaboration of the two, but rather a reunion of the former members of the excellent Cursillistas, the project that was forced to disintegrate when Dawn left Maine (read about the recent release of the "last", synoptic Cursillistas LP Observe Ember Weeks over here). Below, watch the brand new video for the slowly meandering, restrained and intriguingly calm and muffled "Ripe", the b-side of said "Wild Cherry" single. It was shot by Jamie Rinaldi and Nicholas Barker on a gray, windy day at the beach in Maine on super-8 film, featuring the two musicians wandering around in the slowly fading lights of another New England fall. The Wild Cherry b/w Ripe 7 inch is out on L'Animaux Tryst (Field) Recordings. Order it over here.

Video premiere: Young Wonder - “Orange”.

10 Apr 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

We're very happy to premiere another splendid visual work of Feel Good Lost (together with our Irish buddy Nialler9), whom previously has taken care of some absolutely gorgeous music video for Wintercoats, Jape and Broken Social Scene, to mention a few. Obviously, this brand new video of Feel Good Lost's Brendan Canty doesn't cease to disappoint us either, featuring the extremely catchy pop jam "Orange" of Cork's electronic dub-pop duo Young Wonder. We've had a preview of their upcoming S/T EP, and can already tell that we're already pretty excited about it. The digital and LTD CD release is set to April 14th on Feel Good Lost records. Read more → We're very happy to premiere another splendid visual work of Feel Good Lost (together with our Irish buddy Nialler9), whom previously has taken care of some absolutely gorgeous music video for Wintercoats, Jape and Broken Social Scene, to mention a few. Obviously, this brand new video of Feel Good Lost's Brendan Canty doesn't cease to disappoint us either, featuring the extremely catchy pop jam "Orange" of Cork's electronic dub-pop duo Young Wonder. We've had a preview of their upcoming S/T EP, and can already tell that we're already pretty excited about it. The digital and LTD CD release is set to April 14th on Feel Good Lost records.

2muchachos: “Polaroid Dreams”.

10 Apr 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Some absolutely gorgeous sounds from Russia's 2muchachos; innocent and aching bedroom pop in veins of Red Alder, however bathing in a discreet, soft daylight, just like the first warm days of spring, spent entirely in the window with a cup of tea. Let's leave it like that. Download Vesnywki EP for free via Bandcamp. 2muchachos - Polaroid Dreams Read more → Some absolutely gorgeous sounds from Russia's 2muchachos; innocent and aching bedroom pop in veins of Red Alder, however bathing in a discreet, soft daylight, just like the first warm days of spring, spent entirely in the window with a cup of tea. Let's leave it like that. Download Vesnywki EP for free via Bandcamp. 2muchachos - Polaroid Dreams

NFOP SESSIONS #8: Mutual Benefit.

10 Apr 2012 — Tonje Thilesen

Two months ago, we gave you the 7th NFOP session, an 8 minute long gorgeous jam from the finest Oslo pop trio Philco Fiction. As I visited New York a few weeks ago, only days after witnessing the ear melting set that the Boston-based NFOP favourite Mutual Benefit did at SXSW, Jordan Lee grabbed a guitar and climbed up with us on rooftop of the FMLY headquarters, where he then played the beautiful "Auburn Epitaphs". The song is taken from his split tape The Cowboy's Prayer with Philip Seymour Hoffman (now Cuddle Formation), aka FMLY's Noah Klein. Because NFOP loves FMLY so much, this is the first out of five sessions entitled NFOP x FMLY, or A Love Letter To FMLY if you prefer. Mutual Benefit will also be performing at the next FMLY Fest in Brooklyn, which we would highly recommend you to check out if you happen to be there on June 22nd and 23rd. They just released a compilation, too, which you can grab for free from Bandcamp. Read more → Two months ago, we gave you the 7th NFOP session, an 8 minute long gorgeous jam from the finest Oslo pop trio Philco Fiction. As I visited New York a few weeks ago, only days after witnessing the ear melting set that the Boston-based NFOP favourite Mutual Benefit did at SXSW, Jordan Lee grabbed a guitar and climbed up with us on rooftop of the FMLY headquarters, where he then played the beautiful "Auburn Epitaphs". The song is taken from his split tape The Cowboy's Prayer with Philip Seymour Hoffman (now Cuddle Formation), aka FMLY's Noah Klein. Because NFOP loves FMLY so much, this is the first out of five sessions entitled NFOP x FMLY, or A Love Letter To FMLY if you prefer. Mutual Benefit will also be performing at the next FMLY Fest in Brooklyn, which we would highly recommend you to check out if you happen to be there on June 22nd and 23rd. They just released a compilation, too, which you can grab for free from Bandcamp.